In between meetings this morning, I caught the word that Will Shields was in the college football hall of fame via Twitter, and thought great. So I went on for a while thinking that two Huskers would be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. I just assumed that Tommie Frazier would be in. I mean, how could he not? He routinely shows up on the list of the greatest players of all time (Sports Illustrated's "All Century" team, for example), so he has to get in. I was so sure that I wrote an article for CornNation to be ready to go as soon as the Frazier announcement was made.
Except that Frazier didn't get in. My article got revised and posted as "Frazier Snubbed"...and that's the really awful thing about this...because it takes away the limelight that Will Shields earned. Great player, great career. He deserves the glory. But for some bizarre reason, Husker fans are left wondering "WTF?"
I'm not going to criticize most of the selections. I had a ballot this year, and I voted for some of them. Deion Sanders was a no-brainer to me. Russell Maryland got my nod, and I thought that Minnesota's Sandy Stephens deserved to get in for historical reasons. But how do guys like Frazier, Willie Roaf, or Jonathan Ogden not get in ahead of some of these guys?
Some would say it was "only one player per team"? OK, then take Frazier. Some would say that you have to be extraordinary to get in on the first ballot. OK, then explain Arizona's Rob Waldrop. I'm not saying that Waldrop doesn't belong in the hall...but does he deserve it before Frazier?
Hard to explain these things. I was prepared for Shields to get overlooked this year, so his induction is a really big deal and great news. Only problem is that his quarterback from his senior season was even more deserving, and didn't get in.
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